Solitary Man
by gem6519
Summary: Clark recalls some of the girls/women in his life that have had an impact on him. This is written from Clarks point of view. Each part will be about a different person.
1. The first love

**PART 1: THE FIRST LOVE**

I was just a kid when I first laid eyes on Lana Lang. She had moved into the house next door. Okay, technically, the house next door was about a mile away. I just couldn't keep my eyes off her; at school or through my telescope. The other girls at school paled in comparison to Lana. She was the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen.

I was always afraid to approach Lana. She was one of the more popular girls in school and I didn't exactly fit in with the crowd she was a part of. For some reason, I always felt weak whenever I came within six feet of her. It just didn't make sense. Why did I feel different around her? Why didn't I feel as if I belonged?

I thought that maybe the reason why I didn't belong had something to do with the fact that I had abilities nobody else had. My parents tried to treat me like I was like a normal teenager, but the truth is I never felt it deep inside. It wasn't until my freshman year of high school that my father finally told me the truth about my abilities.

I came from another planet.

He brought me down to the storm cellar and showed me the spaceship. I couldn't believe it. I yelled at him about why he never told me, then I super-sped out of there. I ended up in the cemetery of all places. I was hoping to be by myself for awhile, then Lana showed up riding her horse. She told me that she often came to the cemetery to talk to her parents. She wondered why I was there, but of course I couldn't tell her the real reason why. We ended up having the longest conversation we've ever had as we walked back to her house. Once we returned to her house, she gave me a kiss on the cheek and walked away. It's funny that I didn't feel weak with her that night.

Shortly after that, I was 'picked' as the scarecrow for that year by Lana's boyfriend, Whitney. Apparently he thought I was going after his girl. He hit me - and when I tried to return the favor, I suddenly felt weak. I collapsed onto the ground; unable to move. He and his friends took me to a cornfield and tied me to the post that would normally hold a fake scarecrow. They left me wearing only my boxers and a painted 'S' on my chest. But Whitney did leave something else on me.

He hung Lana's necklace around my neck.

I had no idea at the time that it was because of the meteor rock in her necklace that caused me to become weak. The necklace contained meteor rock - which came from my home planet of Krypton. I didn't find out the actual name of it until the following year, but that's another story. I was left there in that cornfield; weak and unable to move. Thank goodness Lex heard me calling out for help and helped me down. As he did, the necklace came off. I suddenly regained my strength; murmuring my thanks to Lex. I grabbed my clothes, then ran out of the field; super-speeding away once I was out of Lex's sight.

Later on, Lex gave me a lead-lined box. I wondered what was in it. He opened it and I started to become weak again. That's when I saw the necklace inside. I was beginning to think it might be because of the meteor rock. Once he closed the box, I became strong again. He smiled at me and said that he felt I should be the one to return it to Lana. He was trying in his own subtle way to play matchmaker.

I returned to the loft and sat down; staring at the box in my hands. If I gave Lana the necklace, it would mean I could never be around her. It wasn't fair because she was the one person I wanted to be with. My decision to return the necklace to Lana was the hardest decision I ever had to make. She never knew that I was the one who returned it. I knocked on the front door; leaving it on the knob. I watched from the shadows as she opened the door and found the necklace. She looked around; a smile on her face. Then she turned and walked back into the house.

I waited until she was inside, then began to walk away from her house; walking down the road in the dark all by myself. I never felt so alone in my entire life. I felt as if I was destined to remain the man alone in the shadows. Who'd have thought that a tiny piece of meteor rock could make me feel that way? So weak and vulnerable? Ironically, that's what my relationship with Lana ultimately made me.

She became the human version of kryptonite.

I'll tell you about that a little later. She did eventually stop wearing the necklace, so I was able to be around her. We struck up a friendship of sorts. She even helped me out with my speech when I ran for Class President. At the time, she was running the Talon and business was bad. She ended up finding some dirt on another coffee shop that was taking away customers. I remember exactly what I said when she admitted to enjoying being underhanded.

_Lana Lang seduced by the dark side? Who'd have thunk?_

I had no idea how prophetic that comment turned out to be. But I digress.

After that, our relationship began to turn into something more than just friendship. But it also became on-again and off-again. There was the time that the horse trampled over her and broke her legs. She told me while lying in that hospital bed that maybe I was right about it being too dangerous around me. Let's not also forget the fact that she went to Paris partially because of me. So we were off-again when Lois blew into town.

Lois. Lois.

What a pain in the ass she was - and still is to some degree. I found her to be bossy, rude, stuck up. I couldn't stand her. When I said that to Lana, she had this mysterious smile on her face. She said that the best ones start out that way. Of course I didn't believe her at the time.

I didn't know that Lana had met somebody in Paris until Lois opened her big mouth. She just doesn't stop talking. Anyway, I found out later on that it was Jason Teague, the new assistant football coach. It was supposed to be a secret, but word soon got out that they were dating and he was fired. Lana accused me of outing their relationship - which of course I hadn't. She later apologized for thinking I would do such a thing. So at least we were back on friendly terms.

It wasn't until after the second meteor shower that we made love for the first time. She admitted to me that it was her first time and I admitted it was my first time too. I'll never forget that night. There were candles lit all over the place; a roaring fire in the fireplace. I made love to her on a rug in front of the fireplace. I wasn't afraid to be with her because I didn't have my powers at the time. Until I was human, I was afraid of physically being with her because I was afraid I would lose control and end up hurting her.

Once I got my powers back, however, those same fears came back to haunt me. They came back with a vengeance when I was infected by silver kryptonite. I hurt her because I believed that I saw her and Lex kissing. I ended up choking her until she was unconscious.

Once again I believed that no matter how much I tried, I always ended up hurting the ones I love. It was my damn secret that prevented me from truly being close to her. So I finally made the decision the morning of the election to tell Lana my secret. I brought her to the Fortress and told her I was from another planet. She looked at me with such love in her eyes; saying that I looked like everyone else.

That's when I proposed to her.

She didn't give me an answer until later that day. She came to the house and told me that I was the same handsome guy she's always know. She also told me her answer was yes. It was the happiest moment of my entire life. I felt as if everything was right with the universe. Not only did she accept me as I was, but we were going to be together for the rest of our lives.

But my happiness was short-lived. Shortly after my father won the election, Lana went to see Lex. He was drunk and not very happy about having lost to my father. When he realized that Lana and I were engaged, he became angry. She was scared of him and had to hit him with something so she could get away from him. She called me while she was driving away on that deserted highway and told me the whole story. That's then my world fell apart.

Her car smashed into a school bus.

I heard the crash over the telephone. I quickly super-sped to the scene and saw the love of my life lying on the cold asphalt all bloody and cut up. I completely lost it. I began to scream out her name; the tears falling down my face. Then my father pulled up in the truck and grabbed me; pulling me into his arms and telling me there was nothing I could do.

He was wrong.

I went to the Fortress and yelled at Jor-el that it wasn't her destiny. I asked him to fix it. I begged him to bring her back. He gave me a crystal and told me I only could use it once. He told me that by altering one course of events, the universe will find a balance. I didn't care. I had to bring her back. I made the decision and grabbed that crystal.

I also decided I was going to do things different the second time around. I didn't tell her my secret; thinking that she would be better off not knowing. It just pushed us further apart. I had to accept that I was probably going to lose her. If it meant that she would still be alive, then I would sacrifice my happiness. It turned out to be all in vain. Jor-el was right. The universe found a balance.

My father had an heart attack and died.

Our relationship was doomed afterwards. She turned more and more to Lex; eventually agreeing to marry him. I actually crashed the engagement party when I was infected by red kryptonite. I announced to everyone that she was pregnant and that it was the reason she was marrying him. That same night, I nearly killed Lex by choking him in the barn. Lana tried to pull me off him, but I just ignored her. Good thing my mother showed up with green kryptonite.

As it turned out, she found out part of my secret by trapping Chloe in the wine cellar on the morning of her wedding to Lex. She saw me use my powers to free her. I didn't know about that until after we got together yet again. I later came to see her and told her she couldn't marry Lex because I was still in love with her. I offered to tell her my secret, but she didn't want me to. She was going to skip out on the wedding and meet up with me later. But she never showed up. I had a bad feeling; super-speeding to the church.

She married him after all.

How could she marry Lex of all people? How could she marry the man who would turn out to be my greatest enemy? I later found out that she only married him because she was trying to protect me from Lionel. If she had only told me, I could have done something.

The thing is, I always saw her in that fairy-tale princess costume she wore when she appeared on the cover of _Time_ magazine. She always looked like she needed protecting. I guess that's another reason why I never told her my secret until the day she 'died.' Of course she wasn't actually dead. That was just another thing she kept from me. If she truly loved me, wouldn't she have confided in me? Ironic isn't it? I was hurt that she didn't tell me her secret, and she was hurt that I didn't tell her mine.

When she finally came back from the 'dead,' I thought that maybe we could now work it out. There were no more secrets between us. Or so I thought. I guess that being around Lex rubbed off on her. There were so many questionable things she did that I would never do. She had begun to turn to the dark side and I didn't like it. Yet I just couldn't bring myself to end the relationship. In spite of it all, I just couldn't let go.

It didn't help matters when Bizarro returned to Smallville. I didn't know he had returned because Jor-el had imprisoned me at the fortress at the time. He pretended to be me. He had Lana so convinced that she slept with him. How could she not notice the differences between us? Chloe was able to tell the difference, so why not her? She later admitted that it was so much easier being with him. After that incident, things just weren't the same between us. Of course, that wasn't the last thing to come between us.

She fell into a coma caused by Brainiac.

I didn't know what to do. Nobody knew. I went to the _Daily Planet_ to use their database in hopes of finding some kind of cure. Unfortunately, I had no luck. That's when Lois showed up. She admitted that she wasn't any good at comforting people. I told her she was a good friend. She then gave me one of her trademark punches and insisted on taking me to a club so we could have a few cold ones. I let her drag me there, but secretly I was grateful for the distraction.

I felt my heart shatter into a million pieces later on when Lana came out of the coma and left me the DVD. I was devestated by her leaving me the way she did. But once again, Lois helped me through it. She never said _I told you so_, or that she was all wrong for me. She was just there for me in a way that Lana never was.

I find it ironic that the relationship finally ended because of that power suit she insisted on putting on. It gave her the ability to absorb kryptonite. So the closer I got to her, the weaker I became.

Looking back, I now wish I had had the guts to speak up and say we weren't meant to be. I also wished I could have told her how hurt I was when she left me that DVD - but again I chickened out. I could just kick myself for that one. There's nothing I can do about it now.

I'm looking back on that relationship and wonder how on earth I allowed it to last as long as it did. I was so blinded by how beautiful she was on the outside that I failed to see who she really was on the inside. Not that she was a bad person or anything like that. The fact is that we had so many problems; mainly because of my fear of being honest with her about my true origins and her insecurities about my being so secretive - as well as the fears she had of being abandoned by the ones she loved. I have to be honest with myself and admit that the main reason I was hesitant to tell her my secret was the constant pressure she inflicted on me to tell her the truth.

I was so naive to think that we could make it last. I now believe that the relationship I had with Lana should have ended in high school. Instead, we dragged it out past the point where we were just going through the motions; unwilling to admit that it was no longer working.

Chloe once referred to our relationship as the "Clark and Lana Operetta." She was right about that. Our relationship was full of drama and angst. To be honest, it got a little tiresome after a while. I got tired of trying to make it work. Love shouldn't be that hard.

When it finally ended, I felt like a large weight had been lifted off my shoulders. But I wasn't ready to jump into another relationship. I didn't even know if there ever would be another relationship. I've always had this fear of ending up alone, and the failure of my relationship with Lana just proved to me that maybe it wasn't possible. I guess I am and always will be...

A solitary man.

_**Coming up next: The Skinwalker**_


	2. The skinwalker

**KYLA: THE SKINWALKER**

I fell from the sky.

Now you're probably wondering what I mean by that. Well, let me tell you about it.

I was dirt-biking with my friend Pete back in my sophomore year of high school when we stopped at the site where a new office complex was being built by _Luthorcorp_. Pete wondered why the police were there and I replied that the foreman was killed in an explosion the night before. Then I told him I'd race him back to Miller's Bend. We took off through the woods and that's when I hit a tree root; my bike overturning. I fell through a hole in the ground and landed in an underground cave.

I was still lying on the ground when I heard footsteps. I looked up and saw a beam of light streaming through an opening that was created when I fell through. Then the light came over towards me and revealed a beautiful girl. She saw me and immediately came over; kneeling down next to me. I guess I was still a little dazed so that's probably why I called her Lana.

I really have to stop comparing every girl I like to Lana.

I started to tell her that I was fine, but she insisted on tearing open my shirt anyway. She stared at my chest for a moment with surprise. Looking back, I can't help think that there was more than just surprise in the way her eyes lingered just for a moment on my chest.

_You don't have a scratch on you. _

I looked up at her with a smile as I sat up. She really was beautiful. I ended up telling her that I was just lucky. When I asked where she came from, she replied that she was doing some research for her grandfather and that the landslide must have opened up the wall. Now I had no idea that there were even caves down there. She looked a little wistful when she said that if _Luthorcorp_ had its way, they wouldn't be anymore. Then she introduced herself.

_I'm Kyla, by the way._

I couldn't help smiling at her as I stood up and helped her to her feet. I felt so drawn to her for some reason and I didn't know why. I told her my name and she made a quip about how invincible I was. Of course that's when I heard Pete calling from up above asking me if I was he opened his big mouth.

_Hey, man, you gonna need some help, or can you jump your way out?_

Kyla looked me up and down with a curious look on her face. I laughed about it and called out to Pete that I had some company down there. After Pete left, Kyla's eyes widened when she saw something on the wall behind me. I turned to see what had captured her interest. I asked her what she saw and that's when she told me a story that would forever change my life.

The legend of Naman.

She told me that her ancestors had passed down the story for generations and that her grandfather had been looking for this wall all his life. Her voice was full of emotion as she thanked me.

I didn't know why she was thanking me, so I just shrugged it off and told her no problem. She went on to tell me that according to the prophecy, this Naman person would fall from the skies in a rain of fire. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Her description sounded just like the meteor shower that brought me to earth. She also said that he would have the strength of ten men and would be able to start fires with his eyes.

I stared at the drawing as she concluded by saying that it probably sounded silly. I didn't think it was and told her so. She was so excited about the discovery that she couldn't wait to tell her grandfather all about it. She handled me my helmet, then told me that she would show me the way out and laughed as she said to try and keep up. As she walked out, I made an interesting discovery on another wall.

I saw an indentation in the shape of an octagon just like the one on my space ship.

I went home right away and told my father about the caves. We went down to the storm cellar and took a look at the indentation. It looked exactly like the one I found in the cave. My father tried to shrug it off by saying it was a common shape, but I knew there was more to it than that. When I told him about the symbols, he replied that there could be a hundred different interpretations. I went on to tell him that those symbols were the same as the ones on the key that came with the ship. I was hopeful that maybe Kyla's grandfather could interpret the symbols. Of course my father was being overprotective and remarked how I should be careful what I tell them.

That's when I told him that I invited them over for dinner.

I couldn't stop smiling as I was getting ready for dinner. I told my parents that I invited Kyla and her grandfather strictly for information, but there was another reason that they knew nothing about.

I wanted to see Kyla again.

I couldn't stop thinking about her. She was so beautiful, intelligent, and was unlike any girl I had met up to that point in time. She was confident, strong-willed, and seemed so full of life. I found those qualities very attractive and for once didn't compare her to Lana.

It's funny that in some ways, she reminds me of Lois.

At dinner that night, her grandfather told us more about Naman. According to him, a man came from the stars and fell in love with the mother of the Kawatche people. He went on to say that from that forbidden affair, the Kawatche people were born. When I asked him what star he come from, he replied the legend only said that he left one day and flew back into the sky; promising he would send another. When my father asked if Naman was that person, he replied yes, but also said that it was over 500 years ago and that he was a little late.

I looked over at Kyla and saw her biting her lower lip in such a cute way that I couldn't help but smile at her. That's when her grandfather said it.

_You're not from around here, are you Clark?_

My mother quickly replied that I was adopted. I changed the subject by telling him that the symbols seemed to make up some kind of alphabet. That's when Kyla remarked that that was the weird part.

I looked at her from across the table and couldn't help but smile at her again. I felt an attraction between us that I couldn't explain. I don't know why, but I felt as if I could be more myself around her.

I was hoping to learn more about the symbols, but was disappointed when her grandfather said that the Kawatche people didn't have a written language. He went on to say that he had seen a symbol here and there on artifacts, but never in a pattern. Then Kyla interrupted and said that he studied ancient languages and was sure that with some time he could decipher the symbols. That's when he made another comment that caused my parents to exchange nervous glances.

_If Luthor doesn't get at them before we do._

When I asked Mom if maybe she could talk to Lionel, a frown appeared on his face. That's when I happened to mention that Mom was Lionel's executive assistant. I looked over at Kyla and saw that she sported a similar expression. My mother went on to say that it wasn't all black and white. She said that the new complex that was being built would create thousands of jobs. That's when my father decided to break the tension.

_So does anyone want coffee with their pie?_

Leave it to my father to say something like that. I really miss him.

After dinner, I brought Kyla up to the loft to show her my telescope. When I asked her if she wanted to take a look, she said she liked to see them with her own eyes. I couldn't help smiling again as she walked past me and made her way over to the telescope. Why couldn't I stop smiling around her?

I still couldn't figure it out.

I walked over to stand behind her and asked her about Venus and Apollo and all the other myths. She turned to me and said that just because something's a myth didn't make it not true. Then she took my arm with one hand; resting her other one on my hand and pointing towards one of the brighter stars. She told me that star was one of the eyes of the constellation that surrounds it; a wolf head as I recall. She also mentioned that her ancestors said that there used to be another star next to it and supposedly that's where Naman came from.

While she was telling me that story, our hands were caressing each others. It invoked feelings in me that I never felt before. I asked her what happened to the star. She smiled and turned to gaze into my eyes.

_You're the one that fell from the sky._

Now you know what I was talking about at the beginning.

We stood there gazing into each other's eyes; her hand resting on my arm. It was the perfect opportunity to kiss her, but I didn't. I don't know why I didn't do it. Now of course I wouldn't hesitate. I was so mesmerized by her beautiful eyes that I didn't even hear the footsteps coming up the staircase at first. I turned my head to see who it was.

It was Lana.

She had come over because she thought I sounded urgent on the phone. I introduced Kyla to Lana, then told her that I had called her because her father was a lawyer and I thought that maybe he could do something to prevent the complex from being built. She said they really weren't at the father-daughter stage yet, but she would ask him anyway.

We decided to go back to the caves the next day and do some more exploring. We agreed to meet up at the house and drive over in my truck. I thought my eyes would pop out of my sockets when she appeared on the front porch. She was wearing shorts that highlighted her long, shapely legs. But what really captured my attention was that her hair wasn't in a braid like it had been. It was loose and flowing down her back.

I found it very sexy.

As soon as we entered the caves, she promptly climbed up to one of the lower ledges and was talking about how the drawings on the upper walls were more detailed. I couldn't help but notice that as she reached up to look closer at the drawings, her tank top rode up on her body; revealing some of her lower back. Just seeing that little bit of bare skin gave me some not so pure thoughts.

I gave myself a mental shake and asked her what the drawings said. She replied that it promised that Naman would protect the entire world some day. Then she made another discovery that really excited her. I joined her on the ledge and she began to tell me the story of Sageeth. The legend says he will turn against Naman, and they would be the balance between good and evil.

I didn't know what the story meant, but I was troubled by it.

I was pondering all this in my head when I noticed another drawing. When I asked Kyla who it was, she gazed back at me and told me.

The woman Naman was destined to be with.

I smiled again at her and looked a bit closer at the drawing. There was a rectangle below the portrait with a diamond shape in the middle. I couldn't help but notice that it matched the bracelet Kyla was wearing. She noticed I was looking at it and told me that it had been handed down through the women in her family, but she didn't know how old it was. We smiled again at each other. That's when something unexpected happened.

She fell off the ledge when one of the bulldozers above us caused some shaking to occur.

I immediately jumped down and caught her. Then a huge rock dislodged from the wall and fell towards us. I quickly laid her down on the ground and covered her body with mine - just before it crashed down on me and splintered into many pieces.

We stared at each other for a moment, then she smiled at me. I smiled back at her because I've been smiling a lot since the moment I met her. I reluctantly stood up and helped her to her feet. Then she asked me how I did it. I quickly replied that it was adrenaline, but she didn't buy it. She brought up what happened the day before, then kiddingly asked if I could shoot fire from my eyes.

I remember thinking that if I had stayed on top of her a second longer, she just might have witnessed an actual demonstration of it.

I got very nervous all of a sudden and turned away from her. Of course my reaction just confirmed everything for her. She said that she was just joking, but then she said something else.

_You really are Naman._

I told her that I didn't know what I was. I stood there watching the expressions on her face. I expected her to be shocked, but instead she just smiled back at me. I looked at her curiously, then finally said that she didn't seem very freaked out about it. She walked up to me and said something that surprised me yet again.

_Because I know what it's like to be different. _

She could tell that I was still a little nervous about her finding out my secret. Well...part of it anyway. She said it was okay; her hands resting on my shoulders as she told me how maybe all of this could explain everything she was feeling for the last few days. When I told her that there were a lot of things about me that I couldn't explain, she said that I didn't have to and that she had grown up around a lot of things that seemed unexplainable.

When I had to tell Pete my secret, he freaked out at first. Our friendship was never the same after that because he lived in constant fear of revealing it - which ultimately drove him away from Smallville.

Kyla was different. She was the first person who ever found out my secret and didn't freak out about it. She was so accepting about it all. I felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I didn't feel so alone anymore. I even began to wonder if perhaps she was the one I was destined to be with.

I started to talk again, but she briefly covered my mouth with her hand; saying that I was trying to use logic and reason to try and make sense of it, but that you just have to give in. Maybe she was right. That's what I needed to do so I did it.

I gave in.

I dipped my head forward and pressed my lips against hers in a soft, yet gentle kiss. Her arms came up around my neck as the kiss progressed into something much more. My arms wrapped around her waist as our tongues caressed each other's mouths. Kissing Kyla was like nothing I've ever experienced before in my life. There was so much passion between us when we were kissing.

I didn't feel that way when I first kissed Lana.

I'm not saying my first kiss with Lana wasn't great because it was, but it didn't even compare to my first kiss with Kyla. The only other woman I've ever kissed where there was that kind of passion was when I kissed Lois in the alley that night while I was masquerading as Green Arrow.

The next day, Kyla's grandfather was arrested and charged in the murder of the foreman and put in jail. I went to talk to Lex to try and convince him to post his bail, but he was hesitant to do so. Then he asked me if my newfound advocacy had anything to do with - as he put it - a beautiful doe-eyed crusader.

I was surprised he knew about Kyla until he told me he had heard it from Mom. I hesitated for a moment and debated on whether or not to confide in him. I ultimately decided to take the chance and ask him the question that's been on my mind ever since I met Kyla.

_You ever wondered if you were destined to be with someone? _

He seemed surprised at my question; considering his recently failed marriage. He finally said that I was asking someone who was fighting his destiny his entire life. I nodded my head because I understood him better than anyone. He was a little surprised that I moved on so quickly and asked what happened to Lana. I didn't hesitate to answer his question.

I told him that it was a completely different feeling when the person likes you back.

I was eventually able to convince him to bail out Kyla's grandfather after I showed him the caves. Kyla was so happy that I was able to help and gave me a huge hug. It felt so good having her in my arms. I didn't want to let her go, but her grandfather was standing there so I had to. He asked me why I did it and I replied it was for a good cause as I exchanged smiles with Kyla.

That's when my mother showed up.

She tried to talk to Professor Willowbrook about what happened, but wasn't all that successful. I looked over at Kyla and just for a moment I could have sworn I caught a glimpse of anger flashing in her eyes. I dismissed it at the time and that's when Kyla and her grandfather left, but not before she gave my mother another weird look. We exchanged glances as she walked out with her grandfather.

Why did I have a funny feeling that something bad was going to happen?

I went over to the Torch to find out if Chloe found out anything on Kyla's grandfathers case. She found out from the coroner that the foreman was attacked by a wolf. She found during her research that wolves had been extinct in Smallville for a very long time. Then she told me that Kyla's tribe name translated into 'skinwalkers.' It was a Native American myth that humans transformed into animals.

I didn't like what she was implying - namely that maybe Kyla's grandfather had transformed into a wolf and attacked the foreman. So I said that it was just a legend, but she replied that sometimes legends were true. I retorted that Kyla's grandfather was not a murderer and stormed off.

I couldn't stop thinking about what Chloe had told me. I didn't want to believe that Kyla's grandfather was capable of something that horrific. I walked into the house and found my dad sitting at the dinner table going over some bills. He told me that Kyla had called twice, and also quipped that we seemed to be getting pretty serious.

I replied that I could be myself with her and that it was the first time in my life that I felt as if everything fit. That maybe we were destined to be together. But there must have been something in my voice that caused him to say that there was still something wrong.

He told me to sit down and asked what was up. I sat down and told him that I had these feelings for Kyla - and I didn't want to doubt her, but I had a feeling she wasn't being honest with me. He said that not everybody is exactly as they seem and that we should know that better than anybody.

He was right. I've been so used to hiding my secret that I guess for a moment there I forgot about that. But then I finally admitted to him that I thought she knew more about the foreman's death than she let on.

That's when my mother came in and told us that a wolf tried to attack her.

She went on to say that it jumped onto the hood of her car and bared its teeth at her. She started up the car and by the time she looked up, the wolf had disappeared. She was pretty shaken up about the whole thing.

I hoped that Kyla's grandfather had nothing to do with it, but it seemed too much of a coincidence that my mother was attacked right after an argument with Kyla's grandfather. So I called Kyla and asked that she come over earlier than we planned because we needed to talk.

I was in the barn when she came over. She walked up behind me, then gave me a kiss. I told her how I've been more open with her than almost anyone else as I rested my hands lightly on her shoulders. She smiled at me and replied that she would never reveal my secret. I said I trusted her as I caressed her hair, but then said that what I had to ask her was weird. She looked a little confused, but her confusion disappeared when I asked her about 'skinwalkers.'

She smiled at first, then took a few steps away from me. She seemed a little nervous when she asked if I had been studying up on her. I asked her if the stories about people turning into animals were true. She bit her lower lip again, but it wasn't in the cute way I've seen before. It was more like 'I'm not sure how to tell you this' kind of way. Then she told me something else.

_The visitor from the stars supposedly brought special green stones._

Green stones? She had to be talking about green kryptonite - even though she didn't actually know the name of the star. She also said that the stones had really strange effects on the people and that's when they said the first skinwalkers appeared.

That sounded like green kryptonite all right.

When I asked if the stories were real, she laughed it off and said that it was just as I said - that they were just stories. Then I suggested that maybe the legend of Naman was just a story. I was looking into her eyes and could see that she was getting nervous again. She then got really defensive when I asked her if it were possible that her grandfather was a skinwalker.

She looked at me incredulously, then started walking away from me. She retorted that she couldn't believe I was doing this; turning back around to glare at me. I retorted back that my Mom was attacked by a wolf after an argument with her grandfather and that the foreman had been mauled by a wolf. She raised her voice as she responsed to what I had just said.

_You can't think he's a murderer! _

I tried not to raise my voice as I said that he'd do anything to save the caves. She snapped at me and said that she thought I was on their side. I snapped right back that the paintings may be important, but not enough to kill innocent people over. Then she said something else that gave me a chill up and down my back.

_If this is how you think of us, maybe we weren't meant to be together after all._

She ran out of the barn crying as she said that her grandfather was right and that Lionel Luthor controls us all. I just stood there watching as she ran out. I didn't know if I should run after her or leave her alone until she calmed down. I couldn't help but wonder if we really were meant to be after all.

I went upstairs to the loft and plopped down in my hammock. Why did things have to be so complicated? Why did love have to be so hard? I sat up at that last thought. Love? Was I in love with Kyla? I swung my legs out of the hammock and started pacing back and forth. I thought about how she made me feel and how much we had in common. After a while, I just got tired of thinking. I laid back down and closed my eyes for a few minutes. Then something she said as she ran out of the barn suddenly popped into my head.

_Lionel Luthor controls you all. _

I had a bad feeling all of a sudden that Lionel was in danger. I immediately jumped out of the hammock and super-sped to Lex's mansion. I rushed into Lex's study and found a wolf baring its teeth at Lionel. I yelled out Joseph's name and the wolf immediately stopped growling and turned to look at me. I focused my eyes on the wolfs eyes and it calmed down.

The wolf was calm until the deputies ran in with their guns. As I yelled out not to shoot it, the wolf jumped off the table and through the window; yelping in pain as the glass tore into it. I ran over to the broken window and stared out into the night. Then I looked down and noticed something on the broken glass that remained in the window frame.

Blood.

I called out Joseph's name as I ran through the misty woods just beyond the mansion. I ran into a small clearing and finally found the wolf lying down on the ground with a large gash in its side. I watched in amazement as the wolf changed into a human being. However, my amazement turned to shock when I discovered that it wasn't Joseph.

It was Kyla.

I immediately ran over to her and covered her naked body with my jacket. I pulled her into my arms and murmured her name over and over as I held her. She looked up at me with sadness in her eyes as she whispered that she didn't want to hurt the foreman or my mother. I murmured 'okay' a couple of times, then asked her why she didn't tell me that it was her. She whispered that she didn't want to lie, but that she saw the look in my eye when I thought it was her grandfather.

I felt so bad that I apologized for misjudging both her and her grandfather. She confided in me that I was the first person she thought she could trust. Her voice was breaking as she told me that she knew that I knew what it felt like to carry such a big secret.

I felt my heart breaking, but I had to remain strong. I told her I had to get her to the hospital, but instead she asked me to stay with her. I guess she knew she was dying and didn't want to die in a hospital. She said she was sorry once more, then whispered her last words.

_I'm sorry I can't be the one for you, Naman._

She closed her eyes for the final time and died in my arms. I held her tightly as I cried over her lifeless body; whispering 'no' over and over again as I continued to hold her. I also cried for what could have been and realized too late how I really felt about her.

I did love her.

The next day, I was at the construction site with my mother when Kyla's grandfather arrived. I walked up to him and he said thank you. He continued to say that Kyla was right to believe in me. When I said with regret in my voice that I didn't save her, he said that I did what I could. He also said that Kyla had faith in me and that he did too.

I was still hurting from her death, but his words made me feel a little bit better. Then he removed something from his pocket that was wrapped up in a handkerchief and opened it. It was the bracelet that Kyla always wore. As he handed it to me, he spoke words that I would never forget.

_Whatever your destiny...for the true one in your life. _

I took the bracelet from him and held it carefully. I gazed at the bracelet and recalled the last time I had seen it was on her wrist. Right then and there, I made a promise to myself that I would only give that bracelet to the woman who would be my destined love.

If in fact she actually exists.

I went back to the farm and walked into my bedroom. I looked around and finally found the perfect place for it. As I slipped it inside my bureau drawer, I thought about Kyla. She may have only been in my life for a brief time, but I knew she would always have a place in my heart.

I couldn't help but wonder what might have been. Would we have ended up together in the long run? I don't know. All I do know is that after what happened, I was convinced more than ever that maybe I was destined to remain alone for the rest of my life.

A Solitary man.

_**Coming up next: The Heat Vision Girl**_


	3. The heat vision girl

**DESIREE: THE HEAT VISION GIRL**

It was the first day of school and there was a heat wave going on. I was on my way to my first class when Lana came up to me with a video camera. Her boyfriend Whitney was overseas and she thought it would be fun to make a video letter for him. I tried to say something but kept tripping over my words.

It's funny that I don't get that way when I'm around Lois.

Of course that's when Pete comes up to us and proceeds to show me up, then walks away with the hint of a smirk on his face. I asked if I could do it another time and she replied I could stop by the Talon later on. She smiled at me as she walked away. I couldn't help watching her as she walked away; her hips subtly swaying with each step she took.

_It's good to see some things never change._

I was lost in a fantasy while watching Lana walk away when I was interrupted by the sound of Chloe's voice. I missed her more than I thought I would and turned around to give her a hug. I was anxious to hear all about the exciting stories she wrote during her summer internship at the _Daily Planet,_ but all she would say was that there really weren't any. She did remark as she began to walk away that she met a hot intern that made her forget about Smallville for three whole months. I became distracted for a moment and turned around only to realize that she was gone. I couldn't help but wonder if there was something wrong. Maybe she was still upset about what happened at the spring formal.

I realized at that moment that I didn't watch her walk away like I did Lana.

I put it out of my mind for the time being and caught up with Pete. As we were walking into the biology classroom, he noticed a film projector being set up in the middle of the room. He started complaining about how every year the incredibly aged Mrs. Kowalski kicked off Biology class with some ancient sex-ed film. When I asked him as we sat down if his brother was the one that told him that, he said it was his dad. I had just replied that it couldn't be that bad when the teacher came in.

She definitely wasn't Mrs. Kowalski.

I could have sworn I heard Nelly's _Hot in here_ playing in the background as she made her way over to the blackboard and pulled down the movie screen. She was the sexiest woman I had ever seen in real life; not counting the occasional issue of _Playboy_ that Pete would sometimes slip into my backpack when I wasn't looking.

She was wearing a very short flowered sleeveless dress with a pair of strappy high-heeled sandals. I couldn't help but notice the lack of pantyhose on those long, sexy legs of hers. I must be a leg man because that's the first thing I tend to notice on a woman. Even Lois has long, sexy legs.

I would never admit it to her of course.

She introduced herself as Ms. Atkins and went on to apologize for the lack of air conditioning. I heard Pete mutter _bring on the pain _under his breath when she said we would just have to suffer through it together. I could have sworn I heard Lana stifle a laugh at his remark. That's when I noticed what Ms. Atkins _wasn't_ wearing as she stood in front of the classroom window.

She wasn't wearing a slip under the dress.

She started the projector and the film started. It was so boring that even I was having trouble staying awake. What really bothered me the most was the fact that I was sweating. I couldn't understand why because I don't usually sweat. I craned my head to look behind me and noticed Ms. Atkins moving her hand down to caress her leg as they rubbed against each other. There was something so sensual about how her fingers seem to glide across her glistening skin.

I had a sudden fantasy of kissing my way up from her sexy toes to her inner thighs and beyond.

I gave myself a mental shake when she caught me undressing her with my eyes, then she pointed to the screen. I reluctantly turned my attention back to the screen, but I couldn't resist looking at her again. I turned back around and immediately noticed her spectacular cleavage glistening with beads of sweat. I couldn't tear my eyes away as my mind became lost in my own thoughts of slipping my tongue between those firm and voluptuous breasts. My eyes suddenly felt like they were on fire and I turned to face the screen before she caught me admiring her again. The film didn't help my eyes cool down as I hoped, then something happened that scared me.

Heat bursts flew out of my eyes and onto the screen

I stared at the screen in shock as it burst into flames. Everybody immediately got up from their chairs and rushed outside. I waited until everybody was gone before putting the fire out, then left the room and joined Pete outside.

I was confused by what had just happened - but before I could think about it further, Lex pulled up in his Porsche and immediately came towards me. I started to talk to him, but he passed right by me without so much as a hello. Now you won't believe what happened next.

He walked up to Ms. Atkins and kissed her smack dab on the lips.

Pete and I exchanged glances just before she called me over. She told Lex that I was the only one who kept a cool head. When she went on to say that I had put the fire out, he said he wasn't surprised. I had to admit I was a little confused as to how they knew each other and said so. That's when he dropped the bombshell that she was his fiancée. I couldn't believe it.

I was having sex fantasies about the woman who was engaged to one of my best friends.

I was processing what he just told me when there was an announcement saying it was safe to go back inside. She gave Lex one more kiss and walked away. As she walked away, I said to him that I had no idea he had been seeing anyone and asked if he was sure about it. He said that he was never surer of anything in his life and then dropped yet another bombshell.

He gave me a wedding invitation for later that evening.

I wondered at the time why he was in such a rush to marry her. His words about being so sure about it kept echoing in my head. Now I know better, but I'll get to that in a bit. Just as I thought there couldn't be any more surprises, I was dealt another one.

Lex asked me to be his best man.

I replied that I was surprised, but also said I was honored. He smiled at me and said, "Good." Then he walked away and quipped about my getting back to class because, "You never know when the next fire may erupt."

If only he knew the irony of that statement.

I continued to watch as she walked up the stairs to enter the school. I thought about what Lex had just said about being sure. How could he be so sure about someone so quickly? Was it possible to fall in love with someone at first sight?

It wasn't like Lex to jump right in, but I've never seen him happier.

I managed to get through the rest of the day without further incidents. I went home and walked into the kitchen to find my mother sitting at the table paying bills and my father about to pour a glass of lemonade. I was wondering how to tell them what happened when Mom asked me how school was.

All I could say was that it was different.

Dad asked if we liked different, so I went on to tell them about the fire and that I put it out before it could spread. When Mom said that they should be proud of me, that's when I turned around and shocked them by saying that I thought I started it.

They both stared at me in shock. My father finally recovered enough from that bombshell and asked me to explain it. I told them about feeling hot and my eyes beginning to burn. They were quiet until I told them how the spot I had been staring at burst into flames - then Mom asked, "Just by looking at it?" I glared at them for a moment before coming back with a sarcastic response.

_Hello? Hi, I'm Clark. I'm the kid who can lift up tractors and see through walls._

My father asked me what was going on when it happened. I told him we had just met our new biology teacher and were watching a film. My mother asked if it was an educational film, but I had to burst her bubble by telling her that it was a sex-educational film.

The looks my parents were giving me made me feel a little self-conscious. I walked over to the kitchen table and picked up the glass of lemonade my father had poured for himself. My mother then said that whatever's happened could have some sort of hormonal connection.

I remember gulping down that lemonade and staring at them as if they were nuts. Was I now maturing into a fire-starter? That's when my father said that it was just something we had to get a handle on - just like my other abilities. I responded by saying that my other abilities didn't involve things bursting into flames. Of course Mom said I needed to give it some time. Well how much time was I supposed to give it anyway? Did it mean that I had to stop thinking about sex?

It was just my luck that something as normal as having sexual thoughts would set off heat bursts.

She went on to say that I should stick close to home in the meantime and that we'd figure it out. I told her that I couldn't and handed her the wedding invitation. She asked what it was as she opened it and I told her she wouldn't believe it.

She was about to say something when the phone rang. I was going to take the opportunity to go up to my room when she mouthed to me to wait. After she hung up, she said that Lex had just called to ask if she could bake the wedding cake.

I didn't know what to say to that, so I just said that I was going over to the loft to do some homework before I had to get ready for the wedding. I grabbed my back pack and super-sped over to the loft. I sat down at my desk and opened one of my textbooks, but ended up slamming it shut. I just couldn't concentrate at all.

I couldn't get the image of Desiree and her sexy dress out of my head.

I could feel the heat in the back of my eyes again and immediately stared out the window; just in time as the heat bursts shot out of my eyes and hit one of the hay bales. I quickly jumped outside and put it out before either of my parents could see it. I stood there staring at the charred remains and wondered if I was ever going to get this thing under control.

A few hours later I was at Lex's mansion standing under a large wooden canopy and watching Lex and Desiree cut the cake that my mother had baked. They looked so happy as they both slipped their fingers into the frosting. When he slipped his finger into her mouth, it gave me thoughts about her licking that frosting off me.

I quickly took a sip of my punch and looked up to see Chloe standing by herself.

I stood there for a moment and remembered the conversation we had that morning when she came back to school. I know that we had agreed to remain just friends, but I just had this funny feeling that something was off. I walked over to her and asked her if everything was okay.

She replied that everything was hunky dory.

I knew something was wrong because only my father would say something like that and I told her so. She said that we had made a decision and was perfectly fine with it. I must say I was relieved to hear her say that because she's one of my best friends and I didn't want to lose her friendship.

She smiled and talked about Lex being married and her ambivalence about taking sex-ed from his wife. I must admit that I was a little puzzled when she started talking about pheromones. She replied that some people had it and some people didn't.

I looked curiously at her as she walked away, but then noticed Desiree out of the corner of my eye. My eyes couldn't help lingering on how nicely the bodice of her dress emphasized her curvy breasts. I had to give myself another mental shake when Lex came over and told me to stop staring because I would burn my eyes out.

If only he knew the truth.

I admitted to Lex that I couldn't help being shell-shocked at how quickly the whole marriage came about. He told me the story of how they met on a business trip barely two weeks earlier. He thought she was after his fortune, but felt she was different as the night went on. I still found it hard to believe that they could establish a connection so quickly. Lex also talked about playing it safe and glanced in another direction before he walked away. I turned my head and saw what he had looked at.

It was Lana.

I was going to go talk to her, but decided to go for a walk around the grounds instead. It was still hot, but it didn't really bother me like it did this morning. After a while, I came back to the reception and asked Lana if she needed a ride. She smiled and said yes, then followed me back to my truck.

After we arrived at the Talon, she talked about her relationship with Whitney while making some iced coffee's for us. Then the conversation turned to Lex getting married. When she said it felt kind of weird, I was so relieved because I felt exactly the same way. I remarked that Lex made it seem so easy and she smiled; saying that maybe it was. She went on to say how Lex learned to act on his passion and never hold anything back. She wondered if we would ever be able to do the same and looked into my eyes. It was as if she were talking about us. Our eyes lingered on each other's, but that's when I started to feel hot again.

I walked away and was blinking my eyes furiously. She felt my forehead and said she was going to take me home because I was burning hot. She went to get the keys that I had left on the counter. That's when it happened.

The heat bursts returned with a vengeance.

I couldn't control myself. The coffee maker was completely destroyed and the walls caught on fire. Lana shrieked and quickly went to call 911. I was grateful that she didn't actually see the heat bursts coming out of my eyes because I had no idea how I would have explained it all. Not too long after, the fire department arrived and quickly put out the fire. I made up some story about how it started, but I don't think they believed me. In fact they remarked how suspicious it all looked.

I quickly took my leave and went back to the farm.

The next morning I was in the barn when my father walked in. He was surprised to find me there and not in school. I told him I wasn't going because it happened again and about what the firemen said about it being suspicious. He tried to reassure me, but I wouldn't have any of it. I kept turning away from him, but he came up to me and made me look at him. He looked into my eyes and said he had a pretty good idea on what was triggering it.

I remember hearing _A little less conversation_ by Elvis Presley playing on the radio as the two of us walked out to the field just beyond the barn. Dad attached a scarecrow to a post and said that in order to find the 'off' switch, that we needed to find the 'on' switch. He told me to think of what was on my mind when it happened the first time.

We stood there for a moment, but I just couldn't concentrate. I couldn't have sexual thoughts with my father standing there – so when I started to say that it would be easier if I was alone, he beat me to it and said it himself. He patted me on the shoulder and walked away with a smile on his face. I stood there and thought about Desiree and Lana as I stared at that scarecrow. When I felt my eyes beginning to burn, I muttered Lana's name and it happened again.

The scarecrow burst into flames.

I couldn't help smiling as I looked towards the barn and saw my father standing by the fence with a smile on his face. I felt such a relief that we had finally figured out how to control it. I went on to practice on a few more scarecrows and the mailbox, but then started to get a little hungry. I went inside to make some Jiffy popcorn as a snack. It was really cool to use my new-found power to make it. I was telling Mom and Dad about how now I could take a girl out on a date. Of course, the popcorn exploded into the air at the exact moment when I said I could control it without having to think about sex.

It was perfect timing as usual.

I went up to the loft to practice some more while Mom and Dad went into town. I set up a bunch of candles around the room and proceeded to light them one by one. It was so much fun that I almost didn't hear the footsteps coming up the staircase.

It was Desiree.

She had on this sexy red spaghetti-strapped tank top and a clingy red-print skirt with high strappy sandals. Of course she wasn't wearing any pantyhose on those sexy tanned legs of hers. Just being around her gave me more sexy thoughts. I wondered why she was here and she said that she came over to see me.

Why would she want to see me after school hours?

She said that she preferred younger guys because what they lacked in experience they made up for it in passion. I was really nervous about the way she was talking as she started walking towards me, so I kept walking backwards. She also talked about how I had been staring at her in class and was flattered.

I ran out of floor and found myself bumping into my desk and ended up sitting on it. I gulped thickly as she came right up to me and started caressing my shoulder in a very suggestive manner while whispering throatily how we could work on our student-teacher relations.

I muttered that she was married to my best friend, but that didn't stop her. I felt a tightening in my groin as her lips came very close to mine. I instinctively closed my eyes as I inhaled her warm breath; our noses almost touching. Her hands moved to caress my thighs and that's when she did it.

She tried to kiss me.

I somehow managed to pull away from her before it could happen. I got up from the desk and walked to the other side of the room. She stared at me for a moment with this look in her eyes that I didn't understand. Of course I now know that she had some kind of power that made any man do whatever she wanted.

Thank goodness it didn't work on me.

She apologized and said she didn't know what came over her. She acted really panicky when she asked me to not tell Lex. She quickly rushed over to the staircase and practically ran down those stairs. I stood there in the middle of the loft for a moment. I didn't understand what had just happened. Why did she make a pass at me when she had just married Lex? What kind of woman would do such a thing?

It just didn't make any sense.

I admit that there have been times over the years when I would occasionally have dreams about Desiree. They always took place in the loft and she was always wearing the red outfit she wore that night. I would have her pressed up against the wall with her skirt bunched around her waist and one of her long legs hooked over my shoulder as I kissed my way up her inner thighs and…

Sorry about that. I guess I just got a little sidetracked.

I decided I needed to find out more about her, so the next day I went over to the _Torch_ to ask Chloe if she could help me. After some searching, she found out that Desiree Atkins was previously known as Allison Sanders. I looked over her shoulder and read on the computer monitor what Chloe had found out, then sat down at my own computer. After a moment, I asked her what if I was to tell her that Lex's wife had made a pass at me. Of course she scoffed at the notion that our hot biology teacher could possibly show any interest in me.

I don't know why, but for some reason that remark really stung.

I told her that Desiree had been dissing Lex and that she wanted to be with me. She found it hard to believe. I remarked that Desiree seemed to have some kind of hold on Lex, but she still didn't believe me. I got up and asked her if she could continue researching on Desiree, then I left because there was something I had to do.

I had to talk to Lex.

I arrived at the mansion with the print-out that Chloe had given me on Desiree. I entered the study and found Lex playing a game of pool by himself. He didn't look up but did say that he had been expecting me to show up. I was a little surprised by his statement. Then it occurred to me that maybe he knew what happened; or rather, almost happened between his wife and I.

He said Desiree told him everything.

He started talking about friendships and about not being able to trust anybody – but that he thought he could trust me. I started to apologize but then he basically accused me of going after his wife. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I tried to defend myself, but he wouldn't hear of it and asked me to leave. As I started to walk out, Desiree was walking in. I told her in no uncertain terms that I was going to get through to Lex.

I wasn't about to let her ruin our friendship.

The next day I went back to school and was walking down the corridor when I happened to notice Lana pulling out some books from her locker, then slamming it shut. I went over to her and asked what was wrong and she told me that Lex had decided to sell the Talon and that she had twenty-four hours to vacate the premises. When I tried to make her feel better by saying how hard she had worked and how much she loved it, she replied that it only proved that it was never hers and walked away.

I just knew that Desiree had something to do with it.

As I watched Lana walk away, I saw Desiree standing in front of the bulletin board with the hint of a satisfied smirk on her face. I went over to her and implied that it wasn't just Lex's decision. She said that I was right and that it was a decision they made as a couple. As she started to walk away, she said that she wanted to prove a point. I asked her if it was Lana, but it wasn't.

She said it was me.

Was she getting back at me for rejecting her advances? Was that the reason for the freeze in my friendship with Lex and for the decision to sell the Talon? That was the only thing that made sense. She went on to say that she could control the people in my life and mused out loud what could happen if she convinced Lex to turn against Smallville. She said she could turn my friends against me; maybe even my parents. She went on to say that if I wanted it to stop, then I should stay out of their lives. I couldn't let that happen. I had to do something about that conniving b*tch.

Sorry about that. I don't usually swear, but it just seemed appropriate in light of the circumstances.

I went home and finally told my parents the whole story. My father said that unfortunately there was nothing illegal about a wife convincing her husband to make a bad business decision, and my mother said she was going to report Desiree and have her suspended. She never got the chance because something unexpected happened.

Sheriff Ethan came to arrest me for torching Desiree's car.

I couldn't believe I was being arrested for setting fire to her car. She actually gave the sheriff a report stating that I was seen in the area just before her car went up in flames – and since that was the third suspicious fire in as many days, he felt that he had no choice but to arrest me. My dad managed to stay calm through the whole thing, but I was still scared at the prospect of going to jail. He told me to do what the sheriff said and that we would straighten it out. I had to put my hands behind my back so he could put the handcuffs on me and led me outside to the police car. As I climbed into the backseat, I couldn't help but wonder how I was going to get out of this.

How was I going to prove my innocence?

After I was booked and fingerprinted, I was led to one of the holding cells. I walked in and they slammed the door on me. The sound it made as the lock clicked into place gave me a shiver up and down my spine. The officer left and I was there all by myself. I sat down on the bench and leaned my head against the back wall with a sigh. I didn't know how I was going to get out of this, but I did know that Desiree wasn't going to get away with it. It was a good thing that help was on its way.

Chloe and Lana.

I was so relieved to see the two of them walking into the room. I got up and walked over to them; the jail bars separating us. They asked me how I was doing and I replied that considering that I've been accused of setting fires and seducing my best friend's wife, I was doing great.

They went on to tell me what they found out about Desiree Atkins aka Allison Sanders. Back when she was in high school she had been making out with her boyfriend at Crater Lake when the first meteor shower occurred. Apparently she was infected by the meteor rocks because she developed the ability to convince any man to do whatever she wanted. There was evidence that suggested that she 'convinced' a love-struck teenager to kill first her parents, then years later a man that she married. She did all this just to get her grubby little hands on their money.

Whatever happened to an honest day's work anyway?

I wondered how I was able to resist her and Chloe replied with a note of sarcasm in her voice that apparently some women are immune to Clark Kent. I could see the hurt in her eyes, but there was nothing I could do about it. I just didn't love her in the way I thought I loved Lana.

You read that right. I said the word 'thought.'

Anyway, the officer came back in and told them they had to leave. They both reassured me that they were still going to work on it and left. I paced back and forth in that cell for awhile before I finally came to a decision.

I was going to break out of that jail cell and prove my innocence.

I concentrated my eyes on the fire alarm and it went off with a bang. The sheriff rushed in and unlocked the door to let me out. When he was distracted, I took the opportunity to super-speed away. I figured that Desiree was probably at the mansion, so I headed over there. I got there just in time to see my father aiming his shotgun at Lex. I immediately used my new ability to melt that bullet before it could hit him.

While I was making sure that my dad was okay, Desiree threw some alcohol on Lex's back and immediately set him on fire. She ran towards the doors of the study, so I quickly heated up that doorknob and heard her cry out when she wrapped her hand around it. I instinctively grabbed a tapestry off the wall and wrapped it around him to put the fire out. I looked up to see she had disappeared. I didn't know where she went, but frankly I didn't care.

She was gone.

I took Lex to the hospital and they treated him for minor burns on his back. I was surprised that Lex's burns weren't more serious. More than once over the years I wondered if he had a meteor ability to heal himself. It would make sense; considering he's cheated death over and over again. I wish I could say it's a good thing, but considering how he ended up…well…maybe it's not.

After I went home, my dad received a call from the sheriff. The charges against me were dropped because I had saved Lex Luthor's life. I was relieved that all I got was a warning. It really was a close call. Later that evening, my parents went out for dinner. I went up to the loft to lie in my hammock and read a book. I looked up when I heard footsteps coming up the staircase.

It was Lex.

I put the book down and got up. I asked him if he was okay and he said he felt like he was coming out of a fog or something like that. He said his lawyers told him the annulment should be done in a few days and that he was going to let the police handle Desiree. When I remarked that he must have really loved her, he replied that he thought he did. We talked about passion and he said that passion for work and family and friends were great and that maybe he should take a page out of my book.

He was talking about Lana.

He said that I could be going for it with her because Whitney was overseas, but I didn't. I told him that she needed to figure out her feelings and that I was patient. After he left, I thought about everything he said and wondered if the passion I had for Lana would last. Now I know that the passion I thought I had for her was really just a high school crush. Believe it or not there's more passion in my arguments with Lois than there ever was in all the times I was with Lana.

I would never hear the end of it if she ever found out so please don't tell her.

I went over to the Talon to find out if Lana needed any help with the repairs, but it was just about done. She said she was finally going to tell Whitney how she felt. As I drove home by myself in the rain that finally broke the heat wave, I thought about Lana's decision to break up with Whitney. I wanted so much to tell her how I felt about her, but I didn't. She still had feelings for him and I had to respect that. So once again I was alone.

A solitary man.

_**Coming up next: The witness protection girl**_


	4. The witness protection girl

******A/N: **Yes, I am quite aware of how long it's been since I posted the last part. I truly apologize for making you all wait so long. Having said that, let me tell you a little bit about the one you're about to read. It ended up being a heck of a lot longer than I anticipated. It feels like an episode recap - at least to me anyway. I might do an edited version down the road, but I'm not quite sure. Anyway, I hope you like it.

* * *

**JESSIE: THE WITNESS PROTECTION GIRL**

There are so many stories I could tell you about Red Kryptonite. The time when Lois kissed me while wearing a Red-K lipstick comes to mind quite often. It was the very first time that Lois and I ever kissed. I could go on and on about that kiss - but for now, I'll tell you about the first time I came in contact with it.

The first time took place while I was in my sophomore year of high school. Chloe had just picked up her class ring and Pete and I were standing in line waiting to pick ours up. She was going on and on about how it looked like it was jacked by P. Ditty and if the ruby was even real.

Leave it to Chloe to come up with some deep, dark conspiracy about a school ring.

After she left, Pete asked me if I was still gonna go through with it because he recalled my dad saying that three-hundred and fifty dollars was a lot for something I really didn't need. I told him I earned that money.

It was my decision to make after all.

I admit there was a part of me that was a bit nervous about the moment Dad would find out I bought it. In a way I felt guilty for not telling him, but then I would remember how I've never given them any reason to not trust my judgment. I wanted something that would make me feel like I belong and not the way I usually felt.

Like an outsider.

I handed the girl my slip of paper and she gave me a small box in return. I opened it and there it was; a sparkling red gemstone nestled in the center of it. I stared at it for a moment before I removed it and slowly slipped it on my ring finger. All of a sudden, I felt a funny tingle start to go through me. I didn't notice the veins in my arms turning red; nor was I aware of my eyes flashing red before returning to their usual color. I was unaware of the effects of the Red-K because I didn't even know it existed.

It felt like a drug.

Pete asked me if I was okay and I replied that I felt great. In fact, I felt more than great. At that moment, I saw the Principal walk over to Lana and another girl. She had long blonde hair and was wearing a cropped mesh top and low-cut pants that were molded to her body like a second skin.

Man was she sexy.

Anyway, the Principal told her that there was a dress code at Smallville High and she replied that it was lame and lamer. I couldn't help laughing at her comment. I thought she was really cool for talking back to him like that. He asked me if I thought it was funny, but I didn't reply. She went on to say she wasn't changing and he responded that they would discuss her attitude in his office. I called out his name and briefly glanced at Lana before walking over to him. That's when I did something that Clark Kent doesn't normally do.

I told him that she looked really hot and that the dress code sucked.

Everybody looked at me with surprise. They were probably wondering what had gotten into me. I couldn't tell them because I had no idea myself. I also told him that he should cut her some slack because it was her first day. That's when I really let him have it.

I told him that he wasn't the one to be giving fashion tips.

His jaw almost dropped – but he did tell her that if she didn't wear proper attire the next day, she would be sent home. He gave me a strange look, then walked away. She couldn't keep her eyes off me. Of course Lana looked at me curiously as she came over and told her they could finish the tour of the school. She was definitely giving me a flirtatious look as they walked away. Pete came over and asked me where it came from, but I didn't answer at first. I was too busy admiring how they walked away.

I told him I didn't know but I thought I liked it.

I didn't have her in any of my classes, so I didn't see her until the school day was over. I was telling Pete as we were walking out of the building about a bar right over the county line. Would you believe he was the one hesitating about going? I never would have thought that, but it's true. I reminded him about how he's always telling me that you gotta take some risks if you wanna have fun.

That's when she showed up and introduced herself as Jessie Brooks.

She had obviously heard us talking about the bar because she said it rocked and that she had checked it out on the way into town. She asked me if I was planning a road trip, and I told her if I was I would let her know. It wasn't like me to be so forward, but I couldn't help myself. She was so different than Lana. It was a real turn-on. I never met anyone quite like her.

Until I met Lois, that is.

She grabbed my hand and wrote her phone number on my hand, then smiled at me as she walked away. Of course Pete couldn't help teasing me by saying that she was hitting on me. When I said she was kind of hot, he asked me if I was married to Lana in my imagination. I didn't get the chance to respond because that's when Lana came up to us and casually mentioned that I seemed to be making fast friends with Jessie. I told her I was trying to make the new girl feel welcomed. I also told her something else.

I told her not to worry because I hadn't taken my eye off her all day.

She was taken aback at first, but then asked we were still on for the cram session for our exams. I told her if she was going to be there, then absolutely. She gave me a curious look, then she giggled and walked away. It was only years later that I finally understood what it meant.

She was giving me the 'what's up with you?' look.

I was supposed to go right home and help Dad with the garage door, but frankly I didn't feel like it. I decided to forgo my super-speed and instead took a nice, long leisurely walk. When I was about half-way home, I sat down under a tree and closed my eyes. I thought about Lana like usual, but I thought about someone else more.

I thought about Jessie.

There was something about her that I found extremely sexy. She wasn't all covered up in jeans and a t-shirt like a lot of the other girls. She wore form-fitting clothes that hugged her every curve. She had this attitude that told me she went after what she wanted with gusto.

She reminded me of how Lois goes after a story.

After a while, I reluctantly got up and continued on my way home. As I approached the house, I had a feeling that my father would not be too happy about my being late. I didn't think that spending time fixing a garage door with my father would be the highlight of my day.

That honor belonged to Jessie.

I super-sped into the barn and immediately saw that my father was working on an old motorcycle. My fingers itched to hop on that old Harley and take that baby for a spin. My thoughts drifted to Jessie and how cool it would be to give her a ride. I pictured her sitting right behind me with her breasts pressed against my back and her arms wrapped around my waist. It was a good thing I was wearing a long shirt over my jeans. I gave myself a mental shake as my Dad gently scolded me for being late, but I told him it would only take two seconds.

That's when he noticed the ring on my finger.

It was obvious by the tone in his voice that he was displeased with my decision. My suspicions were confirmed when he said that he thought we had agreed that I wouldn't buy it. I told him that it was _my_ decision to make, but he persisted on nagging me about it and telling me that he assumed I would make the right one. I tried to keep my cool - but when he said that the ring cost a lot of money, that's when I lost it.

I blurted out that I was tired of worrying about every nickel and dime.

My father was stunned by my outburst – but before he could respond, my mother suggested I wash up for dinner. I snapped that I wasn't hungry because I had chores to do and took off. I super-sped out of there, but then realized that I had forgotten my backpack. I was about to re-enter the barn when I overheard my mother reminding my father about how he had defied his own father and spent five-hundred dollars on an old motorcycle. That's almost two-hundred dollars more than what I spent on the ring. Why was it that every time I wanted to do something, he just had to throw a damper on it? First he tells me that I can't play football because he was afraid I might hurt someone, now he's telling me I can't buy a lousy school ring?

That really pissed me off.

I left my backpack there and didn't bother doing my chores. In fact, I didn't even show up for dinner. I took off again and picked up some burgers at a local fast-food place and found myself a spot on the dock at Crater Lake. For once I didn't have anybody yammering in my ear. The stillness of the water and the warm evening made me feel at peace.

I wished I could always feel that way.

I remembered that I was supposed to meet the gang for that cram session at the Talon. It was yet another ho-hum activity to look forward to. I snuck into my room and grabbed the keys to the truck, then I took off and headed for the Talon. I didn't really need the truck, but I didn't want Lana or Chloe – _especially_ Chloe – wondering how I got there without driving. I knocked on the door and a moment later Lana opened it. She started talking about what they were currently working on and was heading back to the table when I asked her if we could do it the next day. She asked if there was something wrong, but I said no. I said it was really nice out, then said something that took her by surprise.

I suggested we go for a ride and then go dancing.

She asked me if I was asking her on a date and I told her I just wanted us to have some fun. Until then, I thought the highlight of my day was meeting Jessie, but that changed when I saw that little crinkle above Lana's nose. I found it to be really sexy and told her so. She was a little flustered at first, but then said Pete and Chloe were waiting for us and walked away. When I sat down, Pete asked me where my books were, but instead I suggested we go to a bar. Of course Chloe had to make one of her quips about _hara-kiri_ or some sh!t like that.

Pardon my language, but that's how I felt at the time and I will not apologize for it.

I just ignored her and said that high school was supposed to be fun and that what we were doing was not fun. I went on to say it was my treat and Pete pipes up with a remark about me and the money truck hooking up. Of course my next words surprised not just him but also Chloe and Lana.

I said there was no percentage in playing poverty.

They all looked at each other for a second, then Chloe stands up and says that she was going to get me some decaf. Lana decided to go with her, then Pete elbows me and chuckles as he returned to his studying. I was really bored but then I heard Chloe laugh. I looked up and saw her standing in front of the counter while talking to Lana. I casually glanced at her backside, but then I had a sudden urge to look deeper.

She had a birthmark on her cheek – and I wasn't talking about her face.

Now normally I would never violate anybody's privacy in that way – but I was under the influence of Red-K and I couldn't help myself. It made me wonder what secrets Lana might have, so when she came from around the counter, I checked her out too. I was a little disappointed to see nothing there. I will say that Chloe definitely had the curvier ass.

Of course I made the mistake of mentioning it to Pete, who then proceeded to ruin my fun by waving his hand in front of my face. I know that if he was the one with x-ray vision, he would have been scoping Chloe right from the beginning. Why couldn't I have a little fun? I said we should have some fun, but once again he was a kill-joy by saying that he would party this weekend with me but that he had to study.

I told him that when he was through with _Boring 101_, then give me a call.

I grabbed my coat and got the hell out of there. If I couldn't have fun with my _so-called_ friends, then I would just make my own fun. I super-sped home and 'borrowed' my parent's credit card, then drove to Metropolis and found a store that was open all night called _Discount Eddie's. _I bought myself the latest state-of-the-art stereo system, a satellite dish, some flashing police lights, and a video game – among other things. After I loaded them into the truck, I went to a couple more stores and bought a few more things that caught my eye. I even bought a red canoe – although I doubted that I would ever use it.

I just wanted it.

I was walking towards my truck when I caught my reflection in a store window and grimaced. I decided right then to make a change in my wardrobe. I bought myself some new clothes which included silk shirts, a leather jacket, and t-shirts that definitely _weren't_ primary colors.

No more red and blue for me.

I floored the accelerator and arrived home in record time. I emptied out the truck and brought everything into the loft, then hooked up everything. I took off the blue shirt I was wearing and tossed it into the wastebasket, then set fire to it using my heat vision. I never wanted to see that shirt again. I debated on which t-shirt to put on, then decided to wear the green one.

I felt like a new man.

I didn't do any studying that night. I instead listen to hard rock and played video games. I was still playing when my parents came up to the loft the next morning and discovered everything I had bought. When they asked where I got everything, I told them about _Discount Eddie's_ and continued playing without looking up.

My father was yelling over the loud music, so I reluctantly picked up the remote and shut it off. I wish I hadn't though because he then asked me if I had taken their credit cards and bought all the 'junk' as he put it. I resented him calling all the stuff I had bought 'junk' and snapped that it was time I had all the cool stuff everyone else had.

He accused me of stealing from them.

I told him that I didn't steal from them and that I only borrowed their credit cards. I didn't think it was a big deal because we didn't have to pay for the stuff right away. Of course he thought it was a big deal and threw the black leather jacket at me and said in no uncertain terms that I was to take all this 'garbage' back right then and there.

I said, _"Yeah, right."_

He repeated what I said, then added that we were going to have a nice long conversation about my new attitude after I had brought everything back. I retorted that he could talk all he wanted, then super-jumped out of there and onto the newly repaired motorcycle that was sitting right outside. I fired up that fine piece of machinery, then slipped on my new sunglasses and took off down the road. I heard him calling out after me to come back, but I just ignored him.

I had the same feeling riding that motorcycle that I had the night before at Crater Lake. I felt so at peace with myself. I absolutely loved it. I still take out that Harley every once in a while when I'm in the mood. I usually go by myself, but sometimes I take a passenger with me. You'd probably never guess who it is – but then again, maybe you would.

It's Lois.

You're probably wondering why I'd take Lois instead of Chloe or Lana. It's really quite simple. It really turns Lois on when I put on that leather jacket and hop on the old Harley. I don't know why, but I'm not about to question it because I love it when she wraps her arms around my waist and I feel her breasts pressed against my back. I get this tingly sensation and…

Never mind. I'm getting way_, way _ahead of myself. I'm supposed to be telling you the story of Jessie and my first experience with Red-K.

I was riding along when I saw a girl further up the road with her thumb stuck out and a man driving alongside her trying to talk to her. I looked closely and saw it was Jessie. My day was finally getting better. I pulled up beside her and offered her a ride. She was really surprised to see Clark Kent wearing a leather jacket and riding a motorcycle.

I think it really turned her on.

She sat behind me and strapped on the helmet, then put her arms around me. She whispered that I was her hero, then put on the helmet that I didn't bother wearing. We took off down the road against her father's protests. I loved having her with me on my maiden ride. It was amazing. I could feel her heart beating against my back as we approached Smallville High. The crowd of teenagers that were milling about outside the school parted like the Red Sea as we approached the parking lot. The feeling it gave me was amazing. I barely took note of all the whispers and looks that were sent our way as we entered the parking lot.

For once, I was the bad boy.

I pulled into the parking lot and turned off the engine. She hopped off the bike, then handed me the helmet and thanked me for the ride. I didn't look back at her but muttered, _"Anytime,' _under my breath as she walked away. I was shutting off the engine and getting off the bike when I heard Lana's voice. She said something about me that made me think that she might have been a little bit jealous of Jessie.

She said, "_So much for the shy and retiring Clark Kent."_

I turned around to see Chloe, Lana, and Pete coming towards me. I arched my eyebrow and gave Lana a little leer as I replied that I was just giving Jessie a ride to school but that I would save the return trip for her if she gave me the word. I know she was a bit confused by how blatantly I was flirting with her. I must admit I loved keeping her off-balance. Pete was amused by the whole thing, but it was obvious that Chloe wasn't happy by this turn of events. She didn't even say a word as she walked away with Lana. Pete came over and said something that remains one of my all-time favorite quotes.

_Clark Kent, chick magnet. What's wrong with this picture?_

The words, _"People change, Pete"_ were barely out of my mouth when my father pulled up in his red truck and 'said' he wanted to have a word with me. Now how did he manage to catch up with me so quickly? He must have been speeding the entire time. I told him not right then and started walking away when he flung open the door and demanded I get in the truck. I dared him to give me one good reason why I should, then he grabbed me by my jacket and 'told' me that he was my father and once again demanded that I get in the truck. Well, I wasn't about to stand for that, so I told him he was never my father. He stared at me in shock, but then I did something that I would never forgive myself for – once the Red-K was out of my system, that is.

I threw him against the truck.

I stood there for a moment with a smirk on my face, then walked away and left him there. Pete told me after I was no longer infected that he drove my father home because he had hurt his back. Of course I felt so guilty, but at the time I didn't give a damn. I went into the school, but then decided it was a waste of my time. I had better things to do than to sit around and listen to yet another boring lecture, so I skipped the rest of my classes.

Clark Kent deserved a day off.

I went back to Metropolis with the intention of checking out a few clubs - but it was too early in the day, so then I decided to do some more clothes shopping. I returned to Smallville and came across the bar I had mentioned to Pete the day before. I decided to ask Jessie to be my date because it seemed to be her type of place. Unfortunately I couldn't get a hold of her so I decided to change my plan and ask Lana to be my date instead. There was only one problem with my plan though.

I had to ask her first.

It probably sounds as if Lana was my second choice. She wasn't. Even though I had spent time with Jessie and was attracted to her, I was still in love with Lana – at least, I was convinced I was in love with her.

I waited until I was sure that school was over, then headed straight for the Talon because I knew Lana would be working. I strolled in all confident and cocky as I came up to her and told her that we needed to talk. She said she had to get her orders done, but I told her they could wait. I couldn't believe that I actually came out and suggested that maybe she was jealous when she saw me with Jessie. She told me not to be ridiculous and that I could spend time with anyone I want.

I was happy she had been jealous and told her so.

She looked at me curiously and asked what was going on with me. I told her I decided to tell her the truth about everything. That's when she asked me about what happened the day the twisters hit. I told her we would get there, but that we really needed to concentrate on more important things…

Like our mutual feelings for each other.

I told her we should stop pretending, but she was a little leery and asked if I was an all-new Clark Kent. She picked up her tray of coffees and started to walk away, but I wouldn't let her. I pulled it out of her hands and placed it on the counter, then asked her if she liked it. Now this is where I really became bold.

I pulled her into my arms and kissed her like she had never been kissed before.

That was the most amazing kiss I had ever had – at least up to that point in time. That kiss felt like it went on forever and a day. I've had kisses like that since then, but I've also had ones that were even more amazing. Just don't tell Lana. I wouldn't want to hurt her feelings.

Once our lips finally pulled apart, she barely managed to ask me about Jessie. I whispered to her that she was the one I wanted to be with and that I would pick her up at eight that evening, then left. I stepped outside and closed the door behind me, but then I paused when I heard her heart still fluttering rapidly. I smiled to myself and took off. I returned to the farm and sneaked into the loft and stared at the nearly empty space.

Apparently my father returned everything.

It really pissed me off, but what he didn't know was that I had a few hiding places he didn't know about. I took off the leather jacket and changed from my green t-shirt to a black one, then put on a long, black trench coat. Since I could no longer play any video games, I decided to head on over to the mansion and play some pool with Lex. I opened the door to his study, but was dismayed to find out that the pool table was no longer there.

Apparently Lex's father was now living there and required – as Lex put it – certain sacrifices.

He didn't sound too happy as he said it, so I suggested that Lex throw his father out. He started to say that the thought had occurred to him, but then there was a pause in his voice before he mentioned his father's blindness. I wondered why he had paused, but didn't think much about it. When I told him that just because his father had a problem didn't mean he should ruin his life, he remarked that he was unaware that a two-thousand coat came with a backbone and asked what was going on.

I told him I wanted to borrow his Ferrari because I had a hot date that night and wanted to 'rock her world.'

He couldn't help chuckling and replied it must be Lana at last.

I reminded him of what he told me once about how a man needs to know when to make his move. He seemed glad that I was finally acting on my feelings, but then talked about how he never thought that Lana would be impressed by a Ferrari.

I told him that fast cars, a fancy home, and a ton of money didn't hurt him.

His only response was to chuckle at my remark. I told him I just wanted to make that night special, but he was concerned because it was an expensive piece of machinery as well as being hard to handle. I know I surprised him by what I said next.

I said it wasn't as if I was going to drive it off a bridge

I knew that would hit a nerve because he gave me a curious look. I went on to tell him that all he needed to do was ask himself who was more responsible than Clark Kent, then gave him a confident smile. He was quiet for a moment, then pulled out the car keys from his pocket and extended them towards me.

He told me he wanted that car back in one piece.

I agreed and took the keys from him, then promptly strode out of there and headed for the garage where he keeps his cars. I slid behind the wheel of that magnificent piece of machinery and turned the key. The engine roared to life and I pulled out of the garage. I took off down that road and put the pedal to the metal. I thought that riding the motorcycle was awesome, but driving that car was a hundred times better. I couldn't wait to see the expression on Lana's face when I picked her up.

I was not disappointed.

I hopped out of the car without bothering to open the door and came around to where she was standing. She had a look of surprise on her face as I lifted her into my arms and set her down on the passenger seat. I reminded her to put her seatbelt on, then started the car once again and pulled out onto the road. When she asked why I didn't put my seatbelt on, I said that I didn't need one. When she persisted in asking me why, I retorted that if she was going to nag me all night then I should just bring her back home.

I still can't believe how cocky and arrogant I was that night. I wouldn't normally treat a woman like that, but Red-K lowers my inhibitions to the point where I really don't give a damn what other people think. I pretty much do whatever I wanted – and the last thing I wanted was someone nagging me.

Especially Lana.

I pulled into the parking lot and shut off the engine. Once again I hopped out of the car, but this time Lana had already exited the car. I didn't care one way or the other. I took her hand and we stepped inside the bar. It was really crowded, but I could feel an energetic vibe in the air. I thought it was great, but Lana didn't really care for it. I should have tried harder to reach Jessie because I would have had a whole lot more fun.

As we made our way through the crowd, I observed a couple of burly guys ogling Lana. I didn't like that and I started to confront them, but Lana pulled me away. I suggested we have some beer and do some dancing, but Lana wanted to go somewhere else instead and just talk. It was not my idea of a fun night. A moment later, I heard a voice saying, "I'll take that dance, Clark."

It was Jessie.

I must say I was more than pleasantly surprised to see her standing there. My eyes traveled up from the black boots that ended just below her knees to the red-print spaghetti strapped dress that showed just a hint of cleavage. She looked really sexy with her hair swept up off her face. She said to Lana that she had taken her advice and checked out the Talon, but decided to come to the bar instead.

I couldn't help chuckling at what she said, but Lana was definitely not amused by it. She took my hand and asked for that dance I suggested, but then Jessie took my other hand. I was being fought over by two beautiful girls. Okay, maybe they weren't actually fighting, but I still loved it.

I told Lana I'd be right back and went off with Jessie.

I left her standing there with a look of disappointment as I pulled Jessie close to me as she wrapped her arms around my neck. I really loved the feeling of holding her in my arms. She asked me if I liked living in Smallville – and when I told her that it was the only place I ever lived, she replied it was a big, bad world out there and that the right person ought to show me. I asked her if she had anyone in mind, then we both leaned in for a kiss when Lana interrupted.

She said she was leaving.

I said we had just gotten there and extended some money towards her to get us some drinks and turned back to Jessie, but Lana wouldn't take it. She asked me what happened to telling the truth and I countered with what happened to, "Spend time with whoever you want?" She stared at me with widened eyes and asked if that was the way I wanted it. I replied with a smirk, "There's enough of me to go around."

I guess she wasn't into threesomes.

She started to walk away and I grabbed her arm, but the same two guys from before came over and asked if there was a problem. Lana pulled her arm away and glared up at me as she said, "Not anymore," then stormed off. The bigger guy pushed his hand against my chest as if to stop me from going after Lana, then 'advised' me to let the lady go. I didn't particularly care for him touching me, so I grabbed both of them by their shirts and threw them behind me. I could hear them flying through the air until they crashed into a couple tables.

I loved it – and I could tell by the look on Jessie's face that she loved it too.

The bartender came out from behind the bar with a bat in his hands and declared I was going down, but I didn't think that would happen.

I used my heat vision on that bat and it burst into flames.

He dropped the bat and attempted to punch me, but I was too strong for him. I grabbed him by the arm with one hand and clasped my other hand around his neck. As I pushed him down, another guy had grabbed a chair and smashed it on my back. Poor guy didn't have a chance.

I threw him across the room too and yelled out, _"Anybody else?"_

Nobody came forward. They were too scared to approach me. By this point, I was completely taken over by the Red-K. That's when Jessie came up to me and told me that she couldn't be there when the cops arrived. I agreed and said we should pack our bags and see that big, bad world she had told me about earlier. I grabbed her by the hand and pulled her along with me and we exited the bar.

I was going to bring her home so she could pack her bags, but then decided we should have a little fun before we took off. I pulled to the side of the road and shut the engine off. I slid the driver's seat backward, then snapped off her seatbelt and gave her a smoldering glare.

I think she got the hint of what I was after because she straddled my lap and crashed her lips onto mine.

I was getting painfully hard just from her wriggling on my lap as we continued to kiss. My hands gripped her thighs, then slipped inside her dress and gradually slid upwards until they found her voluptuous backside. My fingers firmly squeezed her cheeks while her hands slipped inside my t-shirt and grazed my chest with her fingertips. We would have gotten further had we not been blinded by a light shining in our faces.

It was a police officer.

Jessie quickly slid off my lap and back into the passenger seat while the officer asked for my driver's license and registration. I handed both of them to him while Jessie was putting her seatbelt back on. The officer gave me back my license and registration, then informed me that he wasn't going to give me a ticket – but did give me a warning. While he was walking towards his police car, I started the car and rapidly pulled onto the road and sped off. I brought her home and told her I'd be there the morning to pick her up, then left and returned to the farm.

I parked the car in front of the barn, then went up to the loft and stretched out on the couch. I was still hard and physically frustrated due to having been interrupted by the cop, so I did what I had to do and found relief. Afterwards, I closed my eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

I hadn't had a good night's sleep like that in ages.

I woke up really early and managed to sneak into the shower before my parents woke up, then returned to the loft and extracted the new clothes I had hidden from my father and changed into them. I opened the barn doors and saw my parents walking towards me. I had been hoping to sneak out without having to talk to them, but no such luck.

I felt another lecture coming on.

I frowned when I saw them, but continued to walk over to the car with a couple duffle bags. I would have used a suitcase, but that was all I had. I decided I would get brand new luggage when we were on the road. I popped the trunk and was starting to load the bags when my parents started talking about how worried they were and that they had been searching for us all night. They talked about how they wanted to help me, but I scoffed at them because I knew the only reason they wanted to help me was in order to keep me on the farm and do chores for a measly twenty dollars a week allowance.

He replied by saying that there was something wrong with me and they were convinced it was due to the ring.

I couldn't believe my ears. They were still upset at me for buying the damn thing. When were they going to let it go anyway? I thought it was pathetic and told him so. He attempted to grab my hand, but I quickly pulled it away.

I warned him that he really didn't want to touch me.

They both stared at me, but my father recovered from the shock of my words long enough to quietly ask me to hand it to him. My mother said Chloe had found out that the ring was made out of red meteor rock. My father added that since the green rock made me sick, they thought that the red rock was affecting my mind.

They believed that it had changed my personality.

I thought about what he had just said and looked at the ring on my finger, then asked him if everything I'd been doing and saying was because of the ring. He confirmed it, then told me I needed to take it off right away. Was he crazy or something? Did he really expect me to take it off?

I replied I wished I had found it sooner.

I retorted that if they wanted to waste their life in this mud hole (the farm), then it was their problem and that I was through being poor, then slammed the trunk shut and walked around to the driver's side of the car. Dad followed me and gave me yet another speech about how we didn't have all the things other people had, but that he didn't think our family was about that. I replied that I could make millions with my abilities.

Sports, TV, it was all waiting for me.

I really let him have it by telling him that they were the ones who forced me to hide who I really was. Of course he defended their actions by trying to convince me they had been trying to protect me. I snapped that they were using me and that I was just another piece of equipment to keep their farm going, then said it was all going to change as I slid behind the driver's seat and started the engine.

I tore out of the yard just barely missing my father's foot.

I decided to head on to the mansion first before picking up Jessie. I burst through the doors of Lex's study and declared that I would keep the Ferrari a bit longer and would send it back when I got myself set up. He asked me what was going on as I casually lay down on his couch.

I told him I left home.

He had a curious tone in his voice as he asked me what happened. I answered that my parents didn't understand me and that there was nothing left for me in Smallville. When he asked me about Lana, I smirked that she was old news and that I had a new girl named Jessie. When he remarked that it was sudden, I threw his words back in his face about him always telling me to find my destiny.

My destiny was not in Kansas.

I think he secretly admired me as he remarked how I just packed up and left. I sat up and looked him in the eye and told him he had no idea what I was capable of. In hindsight, telling him that was a very, _very _bad idea because he got yet another curious look and asked me to fill him in. I'm grateful that I didn't make another mistake by telling him my secret.

I got up from the couch and declared as I started to walk away that when I was through showing the world what I could do, I would have everything I ever wanted and might even be richer than he was. I stopped in my tracks when he said that maybe I was right to get away from my parents. I turned around as he got up and said that maybe he should do the same and just let Lionel have the mansion if he wanted it so much.

I told him he could come with me when he said he never wanted to live in Smallville, then he replied that we could stay in the penthouse in Metropolis because nobody was using it.

_Clark Kent and Lex Luthor. I like the sound of that. _

He said he had to tie up some loose ends at the office, then told me to make myself comfortable and would be right back. While he was gone, I uncovered the pool table and began to play some pool. That's when I had some unexpected and unwelcomed company.

Lionel Luthor.

He must have thought I was Lex because he was calling out his name. I didn't answer him and promptly strode up to him and swiped the sunglasses off his face. He waved his cane back and forth in an attempt to hit me, but I easily managed to avoid it. When he asked who I was, I said he should go back to his room, then changed my mind and told him to pack his bags and get the hell out. He sounded like he had been taken aback by my boldness so I upped the ante by telling him that Lex may be afraid to tell him that nobody wanted him in Smallville, but I wasn't. He sounded curious when he asked what my name was, so I told him.

Looking back, I think that was the moment that Lionel really took notice of me – and not in a good way.

He was surprised to hear whose son I was. He went on to say that he was astonished to find out that they had raised – as he put – a blatantly aggressive offspring. I admit that I was flattered by being called aggressive. That was pretty cool. I then told him that if he liked my parents so much, then he should stay with them because they have a spare bedroom and could use the cash.

I think he was impressed by how I talked back to him. He said I had a lot to learn about tact, but that I spoke my mind and it was a quality that would take me far. That was my intention all right.

I replied that I was going to the top.

I think he was going to ask me how I was going to do it, but then some guy knocked on the door and came right in. He was looking for Lionel and apologized for the interruption. He said that Lex's security people let him in. Now that was funny.

Lex has _the_ worst luck in finding capable security guards.

The guy claimed to be a federal marshal and went on to say that I was last seen the night before leaving the scene of a disturbance in Lex's Ferrari. Of course Lionel's voice was laced with sarcasm when he asked if that happened on my way to the top. I really wanted to smack that smirk off his face, but somehow managed to keep my cool. That's when the _so-called _federal marshal held out something in front of me.

It was a picture of Jessie.

I lied and claimed I had never seen him before, but he didn't believe me because he pulled out a gun and aimed it at me. I laughed and asked if that was supposed to scare me, then before he knew what was happening I was standing in front of him and had his gun in my hand while aiming it at him. He was confused because he had no idea what had just happened. Of course Lionel couldn't see what was going on because he was in the dark.

Literally.

I replied in a cocky manner that he had no idea who he was dealing with, then proceeded to do something that I would never had done had I been in my right mind.

I shot three bullets into my hand.

Lionel's voice was shaking ever so slightly as he asked what was going on. I told him not to worry and said that the bullets missed, then let the mashed up bullets drop to the floor. Lionel said he was going to get security and ran out of the study as fast as he was able to.

For a blind guy, that is.

The marshal attempted to leave, but I rapidly pushed the pool table and trapped him up against the stained glass window. I politely 'asked' him why he was looking for Jessie and he finally told me.

It had nothing to do with her, but her father instead.

Apparently they were in the witness protection program, but they rabbited – as he put it. I took that to mean that they ran away.

Now why couldn't he just say that instead?

He went on to say that Jessie's father was a whistle blower and that his former employer had offered him a million dollars to find evidence. I asked him what kind of evidence. He ran off a list of things like computer disks, accounting files, memos, endless smoking guns, etc. That's when he made me an offer to split it and that it was enough money to start a whole new life. I told him that was a great idea, but who needed him anyway?

I hard-tapped him on the forehead and knocked him out.

I headed back to the Ferrari and high-tailed it out of there and headed straight for Jessie's house. I knocked on the door and waited impatiently for her to open it. She finally opened it and thought that I had forgotten about her and asked if I was ready to go. I replied, "Almost," then brushed passed her on my way into the darkened living room and said that I knew about her father and the disks.

I said we weren't going anywhere until I had those disks.

She had this terrified look on her face, but I didn't care. She wanted to know why I was doing this and I replied it was for the money. I reminded her that she wanted to leave this town and that a million dollars was more than enough money to make a fresh start. She didn't want to give them to me because her father would become a dead man, but then a voice replied that he was a dead man when he started running.

It was the Marshal.

I snapped back that I didn't want to split it and he claimed I needed him because he knew the players and how to get the money, then he ordered Jessie to give me the disks. I turned around and give her the 'you better give it to me' look, but then I heard the click of his gun.

He was going to shoot her, but instead her father shot him instead.

I was shocked to see him collapse to the floor in a heap. I looked up and saw Jessie's father sitting on the stairs. He came downstairs and aimed the gun at me and said he didn't want to hurt me, but would and told me to get out. He was telling me what to do and I hated that.

I told him that I didn't listen to my Dad, so what made him think I was going to listen to him?

I knocked the gun out of his hand and demanded to know where the disks were. While I was looking around, Jessie had quietly slipped out of the house. I proceed to start searching the living room and kept on talking about how I'd figure it out one way or another. I threw the television against the wall, then grabbed him by the neck and lifted him off his feet. I told him to save himself a lot a pain and make it sooner, but he seemed pretty sure of himself as he told me I could kill him and even tear the house to the ground but I would never find the disks. That's when it occurred to me.

Jessie had the disks.

I immediately dropped him and super-sped out of there. I heard her footsteps and went out into the cornfield right outside. I watched with amusement as she ran between the rows of corn and was constantly looking over her shoulder. She should have been looking ahead instead.

She ran right into me and fell on her ass.

She stared up at me as I crouched down and took the purse from her. She begged me not to do it, but I ignored her and pulled out the disks. I couldn't help chuckling to myself when I saw they were pink. I remarked how I had never realized how easy it was to get everything I wanted, but then I heard a voice behind me calling my name.

I turned my head and saw it was Pete.

I smirked, then stood up and asked if it took a whole study group to find me. He replied that Lionel had heard me mention Jessie. Now how did Pete know about that? He never did tell me, but it didn't really matter. He turned to Jessie and told her to run, so she grabbed the disks out of my hand along with her purse and immediately took off in the opposite direction.

That was the last time I ever saw her.

I reminded him that she wasn't going to get far and no one could get away from me – but then I heard one more unwelcoming voice.

My Dad was standing there holding a sledgehammer.

He said he wasn't going to let me hurt anybody else, and I retorted that he was still telling me what to do. He looked like he was a little scared of me, so I said he and Mom were always afraid of me. He denied it and said that they always had love for me, but that what he was about to do made it all that more difficult. When he said Pete's name and told him to do it – whatever 'it' was – I had a bad feeling and turned around and glanced down at the opened box in Pete's hand.

In the middle of the box was Green Kryptonite.

I stared at him in shock as I sank down on my hands and knees as the familiar queasy feeling permeated my body. I barely heard him say he was sorry, but I ignored him and gave my father an angry glare, then balled my hand into a fist and reached up towards him. He then did something I never thought he would be capable of doing.

He raised the sledgehammer above his head, then lowered it and smashed the ring.

I screamed and fell down to the ground, but my Dad fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around me. I could feel the effects of the Red-K beginning to leave my body as Pete knelt down beside me. I was still a little confused by what had just happened, but all he would say was that things were going to be alright. Pete asked if I was going to be okay and Dad answered for me by telling him, "Thanks."

After Dad dropped off Pete at his house, we drove back to the house in silence. I quickly went up to the loft and plopped down on the couch while Dad went into the house to tell Mom that their plan worked. I laid back and thought about how arrogant and self-absorbed I had been. I also thought about everything that had happened the last few days - but there was one thing in particular that really concerned me.

I put myself on Lionel Luthor's radar.

I got up and changed out of the dark suit I was wearing and into my usual attire of jeans and a flannel shirt, then headed back to Jessie's house. I went inside and discovered it was completely empty. Apparently they had cleared out. I went back to the farm – and as I entered the kitchen, I saw that dinner was just about ready. As they sat down, I told them what I had found out and Dad replied that maybe they had stopped running and went to the authorities.

I really hoped that Jessie would be alright.

There was definite tension in the air and it was all because of me. I couldn't help feeling that maybe I would never be forgiven for what happened. I apologized by saying I didn't really mean all the things I said and did, but apparently Dad thought otherwise. He didn't look at me when he said that the red meteor rocks might have affected my personality, but the feelings I had expressed all came from somewhere. I wish I could describe how my father sounded when he spoke those words, but all I can really say about it was that it broke my heart a little. He went on to say that we may not have a lot as compared to Lex, but until now he never really thought that it bothered me.

I admitted that sometimes it did bother me, but then I remembered what was really important and that none of the other stuff mattered. I walked over to where they were sitting and said that no matter how crazy I became, they stood by me.

_That's something all the money in the world can't buy._

I sat down next to my Dad and he told me what a close call it was. I confessed that I felt the sudden urge to tell everyone my secret when I put the ring on.

Lex, Lana, Jessie.

Mom sounded proud when she said I didn't reveal it, but I couldn't deny that the feelings were still there. It was as if I had two identities and didn't know which one was the real me. That's when Mom said that the real me was the one who came back to them. She went on to say that they never had any doubt that I would. That's when Dad held my hand and smiled back at me. I felt so much better, but I knew there was one person I needed to talk to.

It was Lana.

After dinner, I picked up some flowers and walked to her house. She wasn't there, but her Aunt Nell told me she was riding her horse. I immediately headed for where she was and walked up towards the wooden fence surrounding the pasture. I stopped for a moment and watched as she galloped towards me.

She rode over, but remained on the horse as I walked up to the fence still holding the yellow flowers in my hand. I said that Nell told me that it was one of her favorite places and how pretty it was. I added that I had gotten lost along the way, but that wasn't quite true. I was trying to come up with an explanation for my actions - but I knew that no matter what I came up with, it wouldn't be good enough.

I hoped I hadn't ruined our friendship beyond repair.

She finally noticed the flowers in my hands and asked coolly if they were for her. I immediately knew from that tone in her voice that she wasn't going to forgive me so easily. I was really nervous, but tried not to let it show as I expressed my hopes that we could be friends like we were before.

She didn't buy one word of it.

She was a little terse when she asked if I expected her to pretend that nothing had happened just because I brought her flowers. I tried to explain that the things I said and did wasn't really me, but she still didn't buy it. That's when she asked me about what I told her in the Talon about having feelings for her. I started to explain, but she interrupted by saying I couldn't have it both ways and that either it was me or it wasn't. I admitted that I wished I could explain it but I couldn't.

She smiled wryly as she said it was the story of my life, then I apologized once again. She shaked her head sadly when she said that she knew, but that it wasn't enough anymore. The last thing she said was to ask if I could find my way home.

I said I hope so.

She turned her horse around and rode away; her dark brunette hair flowing in the wind behind her. I leaned again the fence and watched until she was out of my sight. I looked down at the flowers in my hand, then let them drop to the ground.

I wasn't going to need them anymore.

I turned around and walked into the woods and began to make the long trek back to the farm. I could have easily super-sped the rest of the way, but I needed the time to think about how once again I had blown it with Lana. Of all the people in Smallville, she would have been the _one_ person who would accept me just as I was. Why couldn't I just tell her my secret? I loved her, or at least I was convinced I loved her.

As for Jessie, I was never in love with her. She was pretty and there _was_ an attraction between us, but I doubt that I would have even given her a second glance if it hadn't been for the Red-K. All I knew was that once again I was alone.

A solitary man.

_**Coming up next: ?**_

**A/N2: **I'm not sure when or if I'll do another part. When I decide for sure, I'll replace the question mark with a name.


End file.
